Postal voting pilot schemes for North East voters have been hailed a huge success - with the biggest turnouts for years.

Postal voting pilot schemes for North East voters have been hailed a huge success - with the biggest turnouts for years.

Newcastle - using postal votes - recorded the highest turnout in nearly a decade with nearly 50pc. Last year only 32pc voted.

All councils using postal voting recorded an average turnout of 50pc - two per cent up on last year.

Derwentside, Chester-le-Street and Wear Valley, recorded 52pc, as did Blyth Valley.

Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford joined council chiefs in applauding the figures. He said: "The figures for all-postal ballots are impressive and are a testament to the benefits in modernising our electoral process to make it more convenient to vote.

"The all postal pilots in the May elections have returned significantly more than the general turnout and I'm encouraged that they appear to be making a real difference in engaging voters and making it more accessible for them. There are positive signs."

This was the third year of electoral postal voting, with 59 councils taking part in various initiatives.